UPVC door.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I have an outside door to the roof terrace here. A fairly recent one - perhaps 30 years old. Just a basic wood frame with a single full sized double glazed plain glass panel.

The door opens inwards and has leaked off and on since it was fitted. It's rather exposed up there. I fitted fancy seals which helped - but notice some of the rubber has started to perish, and the wood frame of the door isn't that great either.

It's not a period feature, and security isn't an issue, so I'm considering replacing it with a UPVC one which hopefully would have better seals.

The present door in set into a custom made window frame - pretty chunky as it is load bearing. If I removed the door and the planted on stops, I'd be left with a basic wood frame made out of 4x2" which is well braced by horizontals for the window - of the same size.

I've a horror of double glazing firms that install things. Googling has found several firms that will supply a door and frame made to size.

Any gotchas about a DIY install? I've done PVC windows and patio doors OK some time ago.

[DerbyBorn]

Look at Composite Doors as well.

[harry]

IME uPVC door frames are quite "floppy". It's quite difficult to install them so all the locks etc. work. You need lots of packing pieces to prevent the door frame distorting when you install. Also has to be completely "flat"/parallel/square.

[DerbyBorn]

DerbyBorn wrote in news:XnsA77AAE4C0A1E4TrainJPlantntlworldc@81.171.92.236:

[Roger Mills]

A single pane fully glazed uPVC door isn't very rigid at the corners, and will lozenge given half a chance. You prevent this by strategic placement of packing pieces between frame and sealed unit - by what is called "heeling and toeing". The sealed unit then gives the frame the necessary rigidity.

The door hinges usually have adjusters for in and out, and to and away from the frame - using Allen keys which effectively vary the eccentricity of the hinge pins.

It's as well to make the frame slightly undersize, and use packing pieces to allow for the brickwork (in your case wooden frame) being slightly out of square - and then cover the gaps with a bead of mastic.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Aren't they steel framed?

I do remember spending time getting the patio doors absolutely square - but I've lost the instructions that came with them. (they were a stock size from Screwfix, and have lasted very well)

Right. How is the frame normally fixed to the 'wall' (my wood frame)? Just screws through it?

Basically I'm hoping the better locks and seals will keep out water over the old wood door with just a single latch. Which flexed a fair bit.

[Andy Burns]

They have steel reinforcement in places, but usually not an entire steel frame. Maybe you can specify it, maybe they include more reinforcement above a certain size?

Yes, need to get the packing right on any opener, and a door is a big opener with lots of leverage, if you have e.g. a lower foam core panel obviously that's much lighter than D/G. > Right. How is the frame normally fixed to the 'wall' (my wood frame)? Just

Into wood that's what I'd expect, into brick frame anchors are typical, then foam around the gaps, silicone or PVC trim for appearance.

Yes, with the in/out/up/down/shake-it-all-about adjustment of the flag hinges you get a good seal, though the operation is at first non-obvious.

[harry]

There is steel inside the sections, just pushed in during manufacture. There's no way to joint/weld the corners. It's only there to screw locks/hinges etc to.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

One other point to get clear in my head. Which isn't easy these days.

There is an existing sill made of wood (lead covered on the outside) which is saying. The new frame comes with a sill - I've specified a aluminium one as it is lower) Obviously that has to be well supported and level. What would be the best thing to go between the new and old to support all over and seal? Is foam strong enough? Or will the wall fixings etc be taking most of the weight?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They don't do a design I like. The original plus side window was architect designed, and I want to keep it looking as close to that as possible.

[Phil Addison]

The biggest gotcha IMO is that that they have a frame that goes ALL the way round including the bit that sits on your existing cill, and you will have to step over every time you go in or out. Plus what others have said - floppy, poor locks etc.

When I put in my new 920mm wood front door, I had a custom machined hardwood 70x75 frame made for it, with interal cill, seals, and fanlight aperture above. Bit of overkill for your roof terrace, but a huge immprovement on my old wobbly frame.

Phil

[harry]

You can get door frames with a shallow metal strip instead of the "frame" on the bottom edge. Even more floppy than the normal ones.

[Andy Burns]

The back door of my garage is a PVC frame, with fanlight and door, I specced a low-level cill, to make wheelie-bins etc easy to get through. I don't think the alu cill takes much of the weight, couple of screws to keep it held down, I used a polysulphide sealant to stop rain getting under.

[harry]

Any glass in the doors & panels has to be carefully shimmed. It stops the door from drooping after installation.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd already added a special sill on top of the original in an attempt to stop water ingress. As built, it had an aluminium bar. The problem happened with the wind in a particular direction driving rain past it. I described the problem here years ago and followed the advice given - but with only partial success. Now I'm decorating the outside, seemed like a good time to find a proper cure.

If it hadn't been for the water issue, was happy with the old door. It certainly couldn't be described as wobbly.

My front door is the Victorian original and just fine - but it is situated well back from the outside wall, so gets a degree of protection.

Did wonder if the door had opened outwards might have helped sort the water leaking. As any wind would tend to blow it on to the seals.

[Stuart Noble]

I think it's called a "wheelchair threshold" or similar

[Phil Addison]

My back door is uPVC, and to be honest I'm pretty happy with it notwithstanding previous post. Dropping is obviously a consideration because mine came with a little block on the bottom cill, opposite the hinge side, on which the closed door rests. It has a tapered lead-in to guide the door onto it. Seems to be achieving its objective ok.

Phil